are you ready to
give your start-up a head-start
The Start-Up is our signature branding service designed for founders who are ready to be taken seriously and go all in with their brand.
So, you’ve decided to take the plunge.
You’ve had an idea marinating in your mind for months and you’re finally ready to make it a reality. Hours have been spent at the kitchen table, choosing a name, refining the product, and stalking potential investors on LinkedIn.
You’ve got big ambitions, a tight budget, but a giddy feeling about your product.
You're ready to take your brand to market, and you know that how you show up matters just as much as your product. You want to do your product justice, an identity that holds its own, whether that's on a shelf, on a screen, or in front of an investor.
Now it’s time to:
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Pitch with pride
When it comes to winning over investors, retailers or your very first customers, we’ll set you up with a brand that’s pitch-ready.
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Dominate the shelf
Make an unforgettable first impression, with packaging that stops customers in their tracks.
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Own your space
Your brand needs to walk into retailer meetings like it belongs on the shelf and hit the market with the same confidence and clarity as the category leaders.
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Build the heat
Start building your army of superfans with a tangible brand identity that you can build hype around.
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Test the Waters
With a brand identity in place you’ll have something tangible that you can use to test your idea, gather feedback and iterate upon.
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Scale smarter
With a brand identity that connects, excites and converts, you’ll be ready to scale faster and smarter.
Introducing
The Start-Up
from 4 Weeks
The Start-Up package is a custom branding service that gives you the nuts and bolts you need to launch your brand.
Together we'll craft a strategic brand identity that makes you look like you mean business from day one, ready to pitch, launch or scale, with packaging available from the start if you’re launching your product.
You’re here
because you…
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Have a powerhouse product that's ready to meet the world, and want a brand that looks as considered as everything else you've put into it.
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Have DIY'd your branding (no shame!) and it's served you well, but now it's time for an upgrade to take things to the next level.
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Understand that first impressions matter, and you want to show retailers, customers and investors that you're serious about your brand's future.
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Want to be THE product on shelf that catches attention, wins over stockists and converts browsers into buyers.
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You're investing in your brand's long-term growth and know that professional design isn't just about aesthetics - it's about positioning your product for success.
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You're looking for a creative partner who will collaborate with you, bring strategic ideas to the table, and truly understand your vision.
the details
What’s Included?
timeframe: from 4 weeks
investment: from £5,500 +VAT
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We kick things off by getting under the skin of your brand via a thoughtful questionnaire, followed by a strategy session to align on your vision and goals. Once we know what makes your brand tick, every design decision that follows has a reason behind it.
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We'll explore two distinct creative routes through curated moodboards, each one bringing a different direction to life, so we can land on the one that feels unmistakably you.
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You'll get three design options to choose from, then two rounds of feedback to refine your chosen route until it's spot on.
From there, we'll develop the final design into a full logo suite, primary logo, an alternate version and a submark (a condensed version for small applications), ready to roll out across every brand touchpoint, from packaging to social media profiles.
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We'll craft a colour palette and type suite that's entirely yours, so you're never left guessing which font or which shade of green belongs on the next thing you make.
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A bite-sized brand guidelines doc (approx 25 pages) that pulls everything together, your logos, colours, fonts and how to use them, so you’ve got a clear, go-to guide for keeping your brand consistent (and looking sharp) as you grow.
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You’ll receive all your final assets in neatly organised folders, with web and print-ready file formats (think PNGs, JPEGs, PDFs and vector files) so you’re prepped for everything from your Instagram posts to your branded merch.
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We’ll design an eye-catching front-of-pack design that brings your product to life, complete with a digital mock-up that’s perfect for pitching to investors, impressing retailers, or building early buzz before you go to print.
previous projects
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Bel Nada
A brand identity that captures the ritual of the apéritif, minus the alcohol.
Brief
Develop a refined, contemporary visual identity for a premium zero-alcohol spirits brand, confident enough to sit on the top shelf alongside its boozier counterparts.
Result
A clean, confident brand identity that blends elegance with ease - designed to elevate Bel Nada as a go-to for mindful drinkers looking for something beautifully balanced and free from compromise.
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Unrefined
A frozen food brand and packaging design for health-conscious families.
Brief
To evolve a frozen food brand’s visual identity to move beyond its niche health-food perception and into everyday appeal, balancing its wholesome, organic roots with a bolder, more playful aesthetic to connect with busy young families.
ResultA cohesive brand identity with clarity and confidence, amplifying the brand’s premium feel while injecting some warmth and playful personality.
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Care Natal
A calm and confident brand for modern motherhood.
Brief
To create a brand identity and packaging design for a maternal supplement brand that feels supportive, empowering, and medically trustworthy, without the clinical edge.
Result
A soft yet confident visual identity that balances warmth and expertise, setting the tone for a brand that truly cares, and truly works.
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Oatopia
A fresh identity for a baked goods brand.
Brief
Refresh Oatopia’s brand identity and packaging to better reflect the bold, feel-good personality behidn their bakes - while creating a cohesive look that could flex across retail, market stalls, events and digital platforms.
ResultA vibrant, personality-packed brand identity with playful packaging that brings their oat bakes to life on shelf.
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Warings
A fresh look for a family bakery with a heritage brand.
Brief
Develop a visual identity for a family-run bakery that feels warm and inviting, and reflects the heritage and community spirit of the bakery.
Result
A warm, characterful brand identity that positions Waring’s as a timeless, family-friendly bakery for a new generation. With a fresh logo, inviting colour palette, and charming hand-drawn details, Waring’s is now perfectly placed to continue its legacy with renewed confidence and relevance.
Our process
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Stage 01
Discover
Before we dive into the design magic, we start with an informal kick-off Zoom call. We see this as a get-to-know-you session where we dig into your big-picture goals, brand dreams, and any ideas you’ve been sitting on.
Whether you’ve got a crystal-clear vision or feel like you're still figuring it out, we’ll guide you through some questions to lay a rock-solid foundation. This stage is all about making sure we’re aligned, so we can build a brand that not only looks the part but feels unmistakably you, and speaks to the people you want to reach.
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Stage 02
Explore
This is where the visual adventure begins. We pull together a couple of creative directions, each one a different vibe, brought to life through moodboards filled with curated imagery, colour and type.
It’s a chance to explore how your brand could look and feel, before we hone in on the direction that clicks. Think of it as trying on different outfits for your brand, until we find the one that feels like you (but with a little extra flair).
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Stage 03
Design
Now that we’ve locked in the creative direction, it’s time to bring your brand to life. This is where the ideas start turning into tangible assets, from your logo design to your fonts and colours.
These are all designed to work together seamlessly so your brand has a coherent look that makes sense to investors and gets your community pumped for launch!
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Stage 04
Export
Once your brand assets are signed off, we’ll wrap everything up into a tidy one-pager PDF that outlines your new visual identity, with all the essentials in one place.
At this early stage in your business, chances are you don’t need a full-blown brand guidelines doc. This simplified version gives you just what you need to stay consistent and keep things organised, without the overwhelm.
four weeks
Branding Only
✔️ Brand questionnaire & strategy call
✔️ Creative direction (2x moodboards)
✔️ Logo design (3x options). Includes primary logo, alternate logo and submark
✔️ Colour palette & typography suite
✔️ Brand graphics (suite of hero graphics, including 1x pattern, 4x icons, 1x hero illustration if applicable)
✔️ Brand board (one pager overview of brand assets)
✔️ Full file suite
£5,500 +VAT
six weeks
Branding & Packaging
Everything in Branding Only, plus:
✔️ Front-of-pack packaging concept (2x options)
✔️ Front-of-pack packaging development (2x rounds)
✔️ Digital packaging mock-ups
£7,500 +VAT
Testimonials
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"We now have a brand we’ve completely fallen in love with, one that has given us a fresh sense of excitement and energy for the future.
Working with Claudia on our rebrand was an absolute joy. Rebranding can feel overwhelming, but she made the whole process so much clearer and easier to navigate. She took the time to truly listen and quickly understood what we were all about, turning our conversations into creative gold! Her guidance struck the perfect balance of collaboration, support and gently challenging in all the right ways. We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Claudia and Freckle to anyone looking to create or refresh their brand.”
Jake & Zoe warren, highclere
View Project
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"We honestly couldn't be happier with the result - Freckle's creative capacity is unparalleled."
“Put simply - working with Freckle was an absolute dream! They took the time to understand our goals, and provide creative solutions that perfectly captured our vision. Their ability to translate ideas into tangible products is truly remarkable. They were professional and hugely attentive throughout the process and went above and beyond our expectations in their level of service.”
Jenny, Rubies in the Rubble
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"Working with Freckle gave us hope in the design process again."
“We loved working with Freckle! We were really struglging to stay motivated after working with two freelance designers who hadn’t understood our vision and had cost us a lot of money. Luckily Freckle listened to our needs and went above and beyond the scope.”
Katie, bel nada
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"The reaction to the branding has been phenomenal."
“Freckle truly took the time to understand our brand strategy and aligned all of their work to our goals and vision. The final product would never have been as great if it wasn’t for Freckle’s diligence, hard work and commitment to always going above and beyond! I’m already looking for any excuse I can to commission them for another project!
Zawwar, care natal
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"Claudia took the time to understand our vision and managed to perfectly capture our style whilst making it a fun and easy process."
“Before working with Freckle, our branding felt quite heavy and outdated. We would look for inspiration but couldn’t quite articulate the brand direction to go in and how best to reflect our identity. Now, we have a premium, polished brand identity that feels like us - one that reflects the quality of our work and gives us confidence when pitching to clients.
The overall experience was great - Freckle are brilliant and so easy to work with. We are really thrilled with the logo and branding they created. Since our rebrand, we've also entrusted them with our website redesign, and the transformation has been game-changing—we no longer hesitate to send our site to potential clients and it is great to have a platform that is visually reflective of our style and can showcase our work to its full potential.
If you're looking for a branding studio that truly understands early-stage businesses and makes the process easy (and enjoyable throughout), Freckle is the way to go. Our only regret is that we didn’t come to them from the get go."
Steph, co-founder, Thompson & Bell
View Project
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"I was thrilled when I received the final logo and assets."
“I got in touch with Freckle Design this year as I wanted to update my branding and I love their playful designs. Having worked with Claudia before, I trusted her completely. The communication was excellent throughout the design process and I was thrilled when I received the final logo and assets. I love the new branding and am optimistic it will help elevate Where's Winnie as we grow. Thanks Claudia!”
rosie, founder, where’s winnie
View Project
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"If you want to be proud of your brand and taken seriously in your category it's worth the investment."
“As someone who is just starting out, working with Freckle provided me with the professional guidance, structure and clarity that I needed.
Freckle was somehow able to take what was in my head and materialise it into a beautiful visual representation that hit the mark. Freckle truly provide the highest quality of service and work and I don't think anyone else could have executed it the way Claudia did."
Caitlin, Founder Goose & Glee
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"Within a week of launching we received our first big new client."
“We gave Freckle a very high-level brief of what we were hoping to achieve, and they completely excelled both in providing us with different design routes for the brand, and also in taking full creative control of the direction for our photshoot. Within a week of launching our social media and website, we receive numerous enquiries and our first big new client. I would highly recommend Freckle for any creative project.”
sonya, sosha
View Project
Meet your creative co-pilot
Designer, project manager and all-round founder hand holder-er
I’m a London-based branding and packaging specialist, with over 12 years experience helping young brands grow. I love working with trailblazing founders to translate their vision into an engaging and memorable visual identity.
But it’s not just about partnering with brands – it’s about empowering them too. I thrive on finding ways to make the most of what’s available, showing teams how to leverage their strengths and work strategically within their means. There's a deep satisfaction in not only creating a brand, but also giving the team the tools and confidence to own their space in the market.
FAQs
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No. Some founders arrive with a recipe or formula locked in, others are still figuring things out. The Start-Up's packaging scope covers the front-of-pack concept, so once your product details are finalised, we can develop the sides and back of pack as part of the Artworking Add-on and create your print-ready artwork files.
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Completely. Pitching investors is one reason founders come to us, not the whole story. Plenty of our Start-Up clients just want a properly considered brand, whether that's ahead of launch or once they're already trading.
Whoever you're trying to win over, customers, retailers, investors (or just yourself!), the goal's the same: a brand that looks like you mean business.
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This is exactly the stage The Start-Up was built for. It's deliberately scoped to what an early-stage founder actually needs, nothing you won't use yet. Waiting until you "feel ready" usually just means paying more later to fix placeholder branding you're already embarrassed by.
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That's what the Explore stage is for. We bring two distinct creative directions to the table, not one, so you're choosing rather than just approving. Think of it as trying on outfits for your brand before we commit to one.
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You walk away owning everything, full logo suite, colour and type system, a one-pager brand guide, and every file in editable formats. No waiting around for us, no hidden extras. And if something new comes up later, packaging, guidelines, or a Studio Day top-up, it's there whenever you need it.
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Totally optional, and totally your call from the outset. If you're bringing a physical product to market, packaging's usually a big part of how customers experience your brand, so plenty of founders add it from day one. If you're a service, a café, or anything digital-first, you simply won't need it, and it won't cost you a penny of the core price.
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The core package gets you a bite-sized one-pager guide, everything you need to stay consistent day-to-day. If you want the fuller reference doc, or proper strategy and messaging work behind the visuals, those are available to add on top. Nothing's bundled in that you won't use.
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£5,500 +VAT gets you the complete core identity, no hidden extras. Add packaging or anything from the add-on menu and that's priced separately and agreed upfront, no surprises on the invoice. And yes, payment plans are genuinely available, we know most of this budget is savings, not spare change. Ask us about the specifics on your discovery call.
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If for some reason you are still not happy after two rounds of refinements, we will continue the refinement process at our current hourly rate.
We go through an in-depth questionnaire and briefing process in the beginning to make sure we are on the same page, so most of the time 2 refinement rounds are plenty!
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Items marked with an asterisk are available in the start-up guidelines document.
Brand Story (purpose, mission, values)
Logo usage guidelines (e.g. Max and min size, clear zone, how to use)*
Colour palette, usage guidelines, web & print codes*
Typography suite, usage guidelines*
Photography style
Graphic style*
Illustration style (if relevant)
Tone of voice
Application examples
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You’ll be working closely with Claudia, Freckle’s founder, who leads on creative direction and will be your main point of contact throughout the project. Juliette, our Senior Designer, supports most projects – bringing an extra pair of hands (and eyes) to ensure every detail is just right.
We also collaborate with a small team of specialist freelancers – from copywriters to web developers – who jump in when the project calls for their expertise.
At each stage of the process, you’ll be able to book a mid-project Zoom catch-up to share feedback and check in on progress.
To keep everything organised, we’ll set you up with a dedicated client dashboard in Notion, our project hub for timelines, files, and all the important details in one easy place.
Looking for something more custom?
If you have more specific requirements we can tailor a quote to your particular needs. Get in touch and we’ll chat through what you need and provide a bespoke costing.
free workbook!
Get your brand design-ready
Designed for first-time founders, this guided workbook helps you lay the groundwork before diving into design. You’ll get clear on your brand foundations, define your visual direction, and prepare a professional brief that helps your designer hit the mark from day one.
Workbook includes:
💫 Understanding Why Design Matters
🧠 Defining Your Brand Foundations
🎨 Moodboarding & Visual Direction
🧾 Pre-Design Checklist
💬 Reflection Prompts to Clarify Your Message